Mexican president seeks billions in funding from US to combat illegal migration

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has urged the United States to allocate $20 billion to tackle the escalating issue of illegal immigration. 

Obrador’s comment comes in the wake of a significant rise in illegal border crossings, with November alone witnessing 192,000 violations and an additional 9,600 daily migrant encounters during the initial three weeks of December.

Obrador said during a briefing with journalists on Friday (Jan 5) that he requested US authorities to deploy the $20 billion in funds as part of a cooperative plan to help other countries in Latin America to combat the migrant crisis.

Additionally, Obrador appealed to the US to grant visas to at least 10 million Hispanic migrants with over a decade of work experience in the country, a point reportedly raised during his recent meeting with President Joe Biden in Mexico City.

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On December 31, 2023, armed individuals kidnapped 32 Venezuelan and Honduran migrants from a bus. The perpetrators aimed to extort money from the victims and their families in the United States.

A phone conversation between Presidents Biden and Obrador on December 21 called for the need for enhanced enforcement at key ports of entry. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, and White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall were subsequently sent to Mexico to address the pressing situation.

Notably in May 2023, President Obrador criticised the Biden administration for lifting the Title 42 immigration policy, arguing that it incentivised smugglers to exploit the situation. 

Title 42, initially implemented during the Covid pandemic, expired on May 11, coinciding with the conclusion of the health emergency.

(With inputs from agencies)